Khayelitsha And Eastern Sub-Structure (KESS) Research Day 2026

Date: 30 October 2026

“Evidence, Equity and Excellence- Advancing Healthcare in KESS: Where evidence guides, equity bridges, and excellence delivers”

Venue: The School of Public Health, UWC

Time: 8H00 – 15H30

The Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness (WCGHW), Khayelitsha Eastern Sub-structure (KESS) is hosting its 2026 Research Day “Evidence, Equity and Excellence”- Advancing Healthcare in KESS: Where evidence guides, equity bridges, and excellence delivers” on 30 October 2026 in partnership with the University of the Western Cape. The event aims to create a dynamic and inclusive forum that bridges public health practice, academic research, and community engagement; reinforcing the two institutions’ shared dedication to research excellence and health equity.

The event will serve as a strategic platform to:

• Promote knowledge sharing by facilitating the exchange of research findings between healthcare professionals, scholars, policy makers, and the broader community.
• Strengthen networks between KESS, researchers and communities by showcasing research initiatives led by KESS staff and affiliated researchers.
• Highlight various interdisciplinary collaborations within the sub-structure.
• Support early-career researchers by providing mentorship 

Research Day Theme and Context

“Evidence, Equity and Excellence- Advancing Healthcare in KESS: Where evidence guides, equity bridges, and excellence delivers”

To encourage an inclusive and diverse engagement, abstracts are invited under the following research categories:

• From research to practice: Research on quality improvement and evaluation, implementation science, knowledge translation, scaling  up and continuous learning loops
• Equity that bridges: Research focused on improving access, reducing disparities across socio-demographic profiles, culturally acceptable care models and community partnership approaches
• Service delivery: Research that showcases excellence in service delivery, efficient and responsive health systems, health systems accountability
• Intersectoral collaboration: Research that demonstrates stakeholder collaboration across sectors, workforce well-being, policy and governance enabling evidence use for sustainable practice environments

The final conference programme will be formally announced at the beginning of October 2026. It is expected to include an opening session with a keynote address followed by a series of thematic sessions with 15 minutes oral presentations from authors of accepted abstracts. Up-to-date information on the programme can be found on SoPH, UWC’s website. 

Call for Abstracts; and Guidelines for Abstracts

Interested participants are requested to submit abstracts in alignment with the four research categories outlined above.  We welcome all types of research contributions, including studies with data, theoretical papers, literature reviews, real-world examples, and ongoing research projects.  Submissions will be accepted until 14 September 2026, at KESS RESEARCH DAY 2026

• Please note that an abstract must:
• Be a maximum of 300 words, structured to include: background, approach (methods), findings (results), and conclusion. A template is attached as a guide to assist in drafting the abstract.
• Be based on research conducted within the period 2024-2026 in the Khayelitsha and Eastern Sub-structure. Research or updates presented on other platforms are welcome.

Submitted abstracts will go through a review process.  By submitting an abstract, authors consent to conference organizers storing and disseminating content from the abstracts and subsequent presentations.

For any queries please email:

KESSResearchCommittee@westerncape.gov.za /  soph-events@uwc.ac.za